Messala
Background
Messala is a Roman Tribune. He grew up in Jerusalem. Messal saved Judah Ben-Hur's life when they were younger.
During the events of Ben-Hur (1959) played by Stephen Boyd
Messala arrives in Jerusalem and tells Drusus he has dreamed of this moment since he was a child. He takes over command from Sextus and tells him how he will crush the Jewish rebellion. Messala is visited by Ben-Hur and he tells Ben-Hur that he will need his help and they make a toast to each other. The next day, Messala visits Ben-Hur at his home and gives Tirzah a brooch from Libya. He demands to know from Ben-Hur who the Jewish rebels are, but Ben-Hur refuses to betray his people. Messala then tells Ben-Hur that he is either with him or against him and Ben-Hur still refuses to help Messala. Valerius Gratus arrives in Jerusalem and as he is being taken through the streets, he is knocked unconscious by a roofing tile. Messala goes to Ben-Hur's home and orders Ben-Hur, Miriam and Tirzah to be imprisoned. He then investigates the upper patio of the house and notices the roofing tiles are loose, just as Ben-Hur told him. Ben-Hur breaks into Messala's office and Messala tells him by imprisoning his boyhood friend and family, that people will fear him and Ben-Hur is taken away. Years later Messala receives a gift and is surprised when Ben-Hur arrives alive. After Ben-Hur demands to know where Miriam and Tirzah are and then leaves, Messala tells Drusus to find out what happened to them. Sheik Ilderim brings a chest full of gold coins and challenges Messala and a group of Roman officers to bet on the upcoming chariot races, and Messala bets him 4 to 1 odds that he will beat Ben-Hur. who will be the charioteer for Ilderim's horses. During the race, Messala uses his chariot with blades on its wheels against the other charioteers. When Ben-Hur is leading him in the race, Messala uses his horse whip to attack Ben-Hur, but has the whip taken away and his chariot crashes. Messala is then run over by the charioteer from Alexandria. After the race, Messala demands that the doctor wait to remove his legs until after he sees Ben-Hur. When he arrives, Messala tells Ben-Hur that Miriam and Tirzah are lepers living in the Valley of the Lepers and that the race is not over and then dies.